Syria civil war: UNSC to hold emergency meet, Assad given ‘asylum’ in Moscow | Top points

The Syrian rebels' takeover of capital Damascus led to the end of a 50-year-long rule of the Assad family and 24-year-long rule of Bashar al-Assad as president alone.

As the rebels, led by the Syria's most powerful insurgent group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, entered the capital city on Sunday, the Syrian president was forced to leave the country for an unknown location.

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Syrian prime minister Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali, meanwhile, agreed to cooperate with the rebels and said that he will ensure a peaceful transition. Having said this, HTS chief Abu Mohammed al-Julani ordered his troops to stay away from the public constitutions until the "official" handover is completed from the PM's side.

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Syria civil war | Top points

1. The Syrian civil war, which began in 2011, managed to do away with several regimes. Bashar al-Assad's government stuck because of the backing that it had from Russia and Iran.
2. In the surprise offensive launched on November 27, the main rebel group HTS, along with an umbrella group of Turkish-backed Syrian militias known as the Syrian National Army, began taking over the country's cities one by one. What started with Aleppo, ended with Damascus being in the rebels' control.
3. Having setting its eye on the capital city for the longest of time, the rebels first captured four key cities in 24 hours - Daraa, Quneitra, Suwayda, and Homs. Then it took the final big step, the opposition forces entered Damascus and captured the city.
4. Till the rebels entered the capital city, the whereabouts of the Syrian president had been unknown. However, two senior Army officials confirmed to Reuters that Assad had taken a plane and left for an unknown location from Damascus.
5. Following Assad's exit, Syrians celebrated the end of his oppressive rule. "This victory, my brothers, is historic," HTS chief al-Julani said in an address at the landmark Umayyad Mosque in Damascus. Celebratory slogans included, "Syria is ours and not the Assad family's," "We've been waiting a long time for this day," and "the start of a new era for Syria".

5. While Damascus is now under the control of the rebels, Syrian prime minister Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali said he was "ready to cooperate" with any leadership that the people chose. HTS responded saying that until the 'official' handover is completed, the public institutions of the country would remain under the PM's supervision.

6. A Britain-based war monitor, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, reported that it documented 910 deaths since the launch of the rebel offensive on November 27. The death toll includes 138 civilians, 380 Syrian troops and allied fighters, and 392 rebels.

7. Global reactions poured in at the fall of the Assad regime, with several countries welcoming the shift in control in Syria. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that end of Assad's rule was "good new", adding that "what matters now is that law and order are quickly restored in Syria". Meanwhile, British prime minister Keir Starmer also welcomed the fall of Assad's "barbaric regime", saying that the UK calls “on all sides to protect civilians and minorities and ensure essential aid can reach the most vulnerable in the coming hours and days.”

8. In the United States, President-elect Donald Trump had on Saturday itself clarified that America should have nothing to do with the war in Syria, saying that "This is not our fight". However, President Joe Biden hailed Assad's fall and described it as a "fundamental act of justice". He said this was a historic opportunity for Syrians to rebuild their nation. Acknowledging the risk and uncertainty this new situation brings, Biden said the US will work with its partners and Syrian stakeholders to help stabilize the country and support its transition.

9. As celebrations over Assad's fall continued, reports from Russia said that Moscow had granted asylum to Bashar al-Assad and his family. TASS news agency reported citing a Kremlin source that the decision was driven by "humanitarian considerations". The source reportedly said, "Russia has always spoken in favour of a political settlement of the Syrian crisis. We insist that the UN-mediated talks be resumed." Later, Russian media confirmed that Assad had fled to Moscow and was in the asylum of his longtime ally nation.

10. Additionally, Russia requested an emergency session of the UN Security Council to discuss the situation in Syria, Moscow's deputy ambassador to the UN Dmitry Polyanksy posted on Telegram. Multiple diplomatic sources later told AFP that the UNSC will convene for an emergency closed door meeting Monday afternoon to deliberate Syria in the aftermath of president Bashar al-Assad's fall in the country.

11. US airstrikes on Sunday hit dozens of Islamic State (ISIS) targets in central Syria on Sunday as President Joe Biden cautioned that Assad's fall could open possible doors to resurgence of the Islamic extremism. "We’re clear-eyed about the fact that ISIS will try to take advantage of any vacuum to reestablish its capabilities and create a safe haven,” Biden said, adding that "we will not let that happen. Notably, around 900 US troops are deployed to Syria as a part of its mission to prevent ISIS' resurgence.

(with inputs from agencies)